Saffron Field
by PPP SSC
Summary: Ike and Soren find and adopt a baby who grows up to be critical. Ike/Soren, Marcia/Kieran, and OC/Amy after timeskip main pairings, also includes Makalov/Astrid, Calill/Largo, Oscar/Tanith and Boyd/Mist. Rated T for language, violence, and sexual themes.
1. Prologue: Abandonment

Saffron Field

Ike kept his hand firm behind Soren's back as the two walked into the mysterious forest. Soren had heard a suspicious sound from their darling house which Ike had built with his own two hands, and had convinced Ike to help him investigate. Twenty feet from the edge of the forest, there was a baby. There was no evidence of the baby's parents. Ike shouted, "Hello? Hello?"

There was no response.

"Anyone? Did anyone lose her baby?" he asked.

Again, there was no response.

"Typical," Soren said, under his breath.

Ike picked up the baby and showed his face to Soren. "Isn't he cute?"

"Oh…" Soren said, "Ike, we HAVE to take him home. We just HAVE to!"

"If we don't… who knows what could happen to him?" Ike asked.

"_I_ know what could happen to him…" Soren said, "No one should have to go through that."

"I don't know how to be a good father, but I can try," Ike said confidently.

"I have faith in you," Soren said, taking the baby from Ike. "What should we call him?"

"I like the name Josh," Ike said, "We should call him Josh."

"Josh it is," Soren said, looking the infant in the eyes.

------

"Kieran," Marcia cried out, "Our baby has gone missing! YOU were supposed to be watching him."

"I WAS watching him, but I thought you had him."

"This is the worst vacation ever!" Marcia shouted, "I trusted you with the baby and you didn't watch him! Now we'll probably never see him again!"

"Hey, hey, don't yell at me!" Kieran shouted, "If anyone lost the baby it was you!"

"He's probably DEAD now, Kieran!!" Marcia hissed, putting her lance to the paladin's throat, "And it's all your fault because of your lousy attention span!"

Marcia spent the next hour crying. Kieran didn't show his tears, but he was crying as well.


	2. Milk and Beration

"Oh, what am I supposed to feed the baby?" Ike asked.

"Babies tend to be nourished by breast milk," Soren responded, "Unfortunately, neither of us can provide it."

"Can't you just use your magic to make some appear?" Ike asked incredulously.

"It's not that simple. I could however synthesize a potion out of water and herbs that could mimic the nutrition and consistency of breast milk. In order to do so, I would have to go gather some herbs in the back. In the meantime, you watch Josh and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"You can trust me, Soren," Ike said.

"I know," Soren said, as he pecked his partner's lips softly. He walked out the door and Ike was left holding the adorable baby.

"Hey, Josh, we're your daddies. Can you say "daddies?" No? Well, you will be able to soon enough." Josh spit up all over Ike's shirt. "How cute…"

Ike reached for a towel to clean off his shirt. Josh giggled and Ike beamed gently into his eyes.

A few minutes later, Soren came back, herbs in tow. He synthesized the potion just as promised and poured it into a bottle. Josh happily drank it down. He giggled once more and said, "Da."

Ike was thrilled. Soren said, "Ike, all babies say "da", it's not… oh who am I kidding? Say daddy again, Josh!"

"Da-ddy…" Josh said happily. Ike and Soren kissed out of pride.

------

"You really blew it, Kieran."

"Shut up, Oscar!" Kieran responded, "I care not for your simple mind games!"

"Kieran, I can't believe you lost your own child…"

"Oscar, why must you berate me so? Even Marcia has forgotten by now, and it was hers!"

"If by forgotten you mean she's sitting crying in another room, then yes, she's forgotten."

"Ooh… I bet if you impregnated Tanith you wouldn't even take responsibility for your actions."

"Of course I would," Oscar said, "But Tanith and I don't have a kid because we didn't make one… not because we lost one!"

"Marcia should forgive me," Kieran said, "We should just forget about that little mistake."

"It was a LIFE!" Oscar shouted.

"It was barely a life," Kieran said, "He didn't even leave that much of an impression on me."

Oscar sighed and decided it was best to just let Kieran be.


	3. Horrifying Revelations

Fifteen years later…

Josh got dressed for the start of the day. Today he was going to ask a question that would put both of his parents off guard. He walked into the room where Ike and Soren sat cuddled together closely. Josh looked over at his parents and said, "Dad…"not caring which one answered first.

"Oh, what is it Josh?" Ike asked. Soren looked up curiously.

"I'm not… really your son, am I?" Josh asked.

"Well I think it's blatantly obvious I didn't give birth to you…" Soren said.

"Well, you know, I've been thinking… who were my real parents?" Josh asked, "I mean, it's not that you guys aren't great… it's just, I'd like to know where I come from."

"I understand," Soren said sadly, "I never knew my parents either. But you're one of the lucky ones. You got Ike as a foster parent and I…" Soren started to cry.

Ike hushed him and held him tightly against his chest. "It's okay," he said gently. Ike then kissed away Soren's tears.

"So is that it?" Josh asked, "The only reason you guys took me in is because you felt sorry for me? Because you didn't want me to turn out like you?"

"I fail to see how 'not wanting you to turn out like me' is a bad reason," Soren argued, "Ike's been trying to heal me for _thirty years_ and still the pain is there. You, on the other hand, have grown up in a perfectly well-adjusted environment your entire life_."_

"Soren, we don't talk that way to Josh…" Ike warned, hushing Soren. Turning his attention to the boy, he said, "And that's not the only reason. We thought you were adorable too…"

"You know, Ike, you really have to stop with the pity, or soon you'll have a house full of basset hound puppies," Josh said rudely.

"He gets that from you," Ike and Soren said in unison. "Or maybe me… but it really sounds more like Shinon."

Ike and Soren then had an idea. "Josh," Soren said, "We are going on an excursion to Tellius to find your true parents. You might actually be the son of… well not a friend but a person we know… and we want to see if our theory is correct. Ike and Soren, with their son Josh, sailed back to Tellius.

-----

"I'm going all in!" Makalov shouted as he pushed all the poker chips inward.

"Ha! Can you beat aces four of a kind?" Kieran shouted.

"GODDAMNIT!" Makalov shouted.

Marcia walked in to see the poker game continue.

"Aaah! Marcia!" Makalov shouted, and then he ran away.

"Kieran!" Marcia said, "You're GAMBLING? After all these years I thought you had changed but you hadn't… you haven't changed at all."

"But I won!" Kieran said.

"Still," Marcia said, "You think you would've gotten more responsible after losing our son!"

"That was fifteen years ago!" Kieran said, "You still haven't forgiven me for that?"

"Kieran, I swear it, if you don't change your ways soon, I'll leave you for Oscar!"

"Hahaha! You kid, I'm sure… Oscar is quite taken by your old boss!" Kieran said confidently.

"I don't know about that," Marcia said, "People are talking about her having an affair with Sigrun."

Too masculine to avert the prospect of a lesbian affair, Kieran's thoughts turned to those of great concern. "You wouldn't," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"I would. So you have to change!" Marcia said, "I will accept no substitutes."

Kieran was simultaneously turned on by thoughts about Sigrun and Tanith and enraged at thoughts about Marcia and Oscar.

----

Amy sat in her room and cried. Her parents had just broken the news to her that she was not only not their daughter but was also a half-breed. She had been made fun of by a man who had called her a mongrel bitch. That made her strive for her parents' support, but had inadvertently caused them to freak out. They told her something about her past that she simply could not understand. She was not their birth child, and she was in fact, Branded. Calill walked into the room to console her, hoping she wouldn't be too upset.


	4. Uncanny Resemblences

"No, never," Shinon responded.

"Are you sure? He's a burgundy just like you, and he's just as rude and ungrateful," Soren said.

"I swear, guys, I never had a son. And if I did… well let's just say the mother probably wouldn't know it was mine…" Shinon said, "That said, at least he's better looking than both of you. Maybe I will take him off of your hands."

"I'm not a child," Josh complained, "I'm old enough to fend for myself."

"Josh!" Ike scolded harshly, "Who taught you to talk like that?"

"You did, _Ike."_

Soren slapped Josh across the face. "He is your father! Treat him with more respect than that."

"You guys AREN'T my father! And don't hit me, _mom."_

"I told you not to call me that!!" Soren shouted. Ike held him back.

"I guess I can see the resemblance…" Shinon admitted. Stroking his chin contemplatively, he finally said, "Well I think Josh is right. He's plenty independent. I just need to do one thing for him first. Josh, do you know how to use a bow?"

"No. Ike only taught me about swordplay, and Mom over here didn't even think I was smart enough to handle magic."

"Well, then I guess I can teach you how to use a bow." Shinon taught Josh how to use a bow, and Rolf became incredibly jealous.

He turned to his older brother, sleeping under Mist, and woke him up harshly. "What do you want!? Go bother Oscar!" Boyd said coldly.

"Shinon likes Ike and Soren's son more than me."

Boyd jumped at the statement, "Wait, wait, wait, Ike _knocked up Soren? _How long have I been asleep? How is that even POSSIBLE?" Mist fell to the ground and moaned in pain.

"Well, I think it's really Shinon's son. But Ike and Soren have been raising him as their own. You know, like your dad did with me…"

"Oh, I see," Boyd said. He wiped his forehead and sighed in relief. "I thought for a second I'd been asleep for long enough for magic to advance to the capabilities of impregnating males!"

"Yeah, like THAT could happen," Rolf said, rolling his eyes.

"You never know!" Boyd argued.

Oscar heard the bickering in the other room and was rightly concerned. He decided to ask what was going on.

Boyd responded, "Ike and Soren are back with a son! But don't worry, he's not actually theirs…"

"Well CLEARLY not," Oscar said. He was about to walk away when something snapped in his brain. "Wait, Ike and Soren have a son? How old is the son?"

"I don't know," Rolf said, "Maybe fifteen or sixteen…"

"Because Kieran and Marcia had a baby fifteen and a half years ago, and then lost him fifteen years ago. What color was his hair? Auburn and pink are co-dominant… and they make burgundy."

"So THAT'S why he looked like Shinon," Rolf said.

"So, we're pretty sure this is the same one…" Oscar said, "I have to let them know. I have to let them know their baby is alright."

Oscar went outside and mounted his beautiful mare. "Come now, Coconut, we need to tell Kieran and Marcia the news." At the sound of Kieran's name, Coconut raised her front hooves in the air and galloped off into the distance.

"Wait," Ike said, "Kieran and Marcia…"

"That would explain his hair. And his false pride. And his temper problems," Soren pointed out.

"Son of a bitch," Shinon said, "I told you I didn't have a son!"

Ike and Soren smirked knowing that Shinon had fallen for it as well. Shinon went into a room to cry, and Gatrie thought his low-toned sobs were just the wind.

-----

Oscar galloped into the Melior central plaza, where he ran into Geoffrey. "Oh, excuse me, Your Highness," Oscar said as he galloped on by.

"I told you to call me Geoffrey!" the still-humble consort replied, a blush on his face.

Oscar was lucky to catch Marcia and Kieran sharing dinner at the Calill Inn.

"Kieran! Marcia!" Oscar shouted, "I know where your son is!"

"You do?" Kieran asked in complete disbelief.

"You DO?" Marcia asked excitedly, "Is he okay? How has he grown up? Did he retain his spunky personality?"

"Yes, great, and I believe so," Oscar answered calmly, "Ike and Soren have been looking out for him."

"Ike and Soren?" Marcia asked, "But didn't they leave Tellius?"

"Yes, but they're back now! And they brought back a fifteen year old burgundy-haired boy!"

"My SON!" Marcia shouted, as she mounted her Pegasus, Janis. Kieran similarly mounted Nathaniel and both of them headed for the Greil mercenaries fort. Kieran ran into Geoffrey literally, causing him to fall over.

"Sorry, Geoffrey!" Kieran shouted.

Geoffrey muttered, "Why do I get all the respect from the one who doesn't mess up?"

"You flatter me so, Your Highness… I mean, Geoffrey?" Oscar said awkwardly. "But if you'll excuse me, I have a reunion to attend."

-----

Amy looked down at the handsome paladins in the plaza from her room atop the inn. "Everyone in the world has somewhere to go except me," she said, as she sighed and walked over to the other side of the room. The vanity which had once been her prized possession—she was raised by Calill and Largo of course—soon fell victim to her own pitch of a stone. "I'm such a worthless outcast," she said, before starting to cry.

------

Author's Note: I know Ike's not supposed to be seen again, but he's only seen among his closest friends who don't tell anyone with a more diplomatic relationship to them, who would tend to tell the historians, and I know Oscar rejoins the Crimean knights at the end of the game and that's why he was in Melior in earlier chapters. In this one, however, he came to visit the Greil Mercenaries. Hooray for hand-waving!


	5. Josh Meets Amy

"Josh," Ike said, "We have found your real parents."

"Oh?" Josh said, "I bet they're so much better than you two!"

"You ungrateful little…" Soren muttered under his breath.

Oscar rode up, escorting Kieran and Marcia to the fort.

"Move it, Janis!" Marcia shouted. Her hapless Pegasus moved forward as quickly as she could.

"Go long, Nathaniel!" Kieran demanded.

"Kieran, Marcia, I'd like you to meet Josh," Ike said, "Josh, these are your parents: Kieran and Marcia."

"That's _Captain _Kieran!" Kieran said proudly, "My son! You look so much like your mother!"

Marcia hugged Josh tightly and cried, "My son! My beautiful son! I was so afraid you had died."

"Whoa," Josh said, "Before we get to hugging and kissing, I want an explanation. Why did you abandon me?"

"It was Kieran's fault!" Marcia shouted, "He left you alone while I wasn't around, and he was _supposed _to be watching you!"

"Hey, I say it was _Marcia's _fault for thinking that I could be responsible when Oscar was around. On the other hand, it was Oscar's fault for being around at all!"

"Don't try to pin the blame on him, Dad! All he did was find you guys for me!" Josh retorted.

"Thank you," Oscar said calmly.

Kieran was taken aback, "You'd take _Oscar's _side against _your own father's?"_

Marcia said thoughtfully, "Well you know, he does have a point…"

"You stay out of this, Marcia!" Kieran shouted.

"Kieran… don't yell at Marcia… it's setting a bad example for your son," Oscar said.

"YOU!" Kieran shouted. "You're the reason my son turned against me!"

"Dad, calm down!" Josh shouted.

Soren muttered to Ike, "It's hard to believe he could prefer _Kieran _to you."

Ike shrugged, "Well, he is his birth father."

Kieran attacked Oscar, beating him to the ground, smacking him across the face repeatedly and kicking him in the side. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do this, _archrival!"_

Josh looked horrified. He snatched the wind tome from Soren's hands and read the incantations. Wind flew out and knocked Kieran over. Soren stared at the fight with his mouth agape. "The… the magic… he learned the magic from observation…"

Ike looked slightly annoyed, "And yet, I give him on the job training with a sword and I'm still afraid he'll poke someone's eye out."

"Dad, is this what you do to the man who _found your son? _Who _was about to reunite him with you? _Well if so, I want nothing more to do with you." He ran off in a huff.

Marcia slapped Kieran in the face, "Now you've done it! You actually did it!"

"What is it that I did?"

"You made our son hate us! At first I just thought he was dead, but now I know he's alive and he doesn't like us anymore. All just because you can't let go of the fact that maybe _Oscar is a better knight than you!"_

Kieran gasped in horror, "You take that back!"

"Forget it, Kieran! I'm leaving you!" Marcia said, "Come, Janis, let's go."

Kieran had a tantrum. "I don't deserve this! I don't deserve any of this! First my son takes Oscar's side, now my _woman _takes Oscar's side! SHIT!"

Rhys came around from behind and gave him a firm bonk on the head with his staff.

"Ow!" Kieran shouted, "What was that for?"

"Every time you curse, the goddess cries and makes it rain," Rhys said. "But more importantly, what you did to Oscar."

"Goddess! Why is everyone taking Oscar's side?" Kieran asked, annoyed.

_Whap._

"What was THAT one for?" Kieran asked, still annoyed.

"Every time you use the goddess's good name in vain, she creates a tornado which destroys a little town," Rhys calmly responded. "And to answer your question, because you were being a bully."

"I wasn't being a bully!" Kieran shouted.

_Whap._

"And what was that one for?" Kieran asked.

"Every time you lie and refuse to confess to your sins, the goddess refuses rainfall to an arid field."

"Rhys, don't think you have the right to abuse me so just because we're friends…"

_Whap._

"Let me guess," Kieran said, "Every time you make a hypocritical statement, the goddess does something adverse that's weather-related."

"My, you _are _learning," Rhys said, laughing, "And Oscar said you were a hopeless case. Speaking of which, I have to get back to tending to him. _You _should look for Marcia and Josh."

Kieran shouted back, "I hope your staff wasn't too damaged by my head!"

"Oh not at all," Rhys said. Then, he healed Kieran's throbbing headache.

"You're a one in a million, Rhys," Kieran said.

----

Soren had been crying for the last hour. "Hey, did something upset you?" Ike asked, looking at his distraught partner.

"Oh, Ike," Soren said, "I just wanted Josh to have a good life… but it looks like his is turning into my life the sequel."

Ike kissed Soren gently on the cheek. "This is what Josh said he wanted. Remember, he _is _Kieran and Marcia's son."

"Oh goddess, Ike, he learned so much from me!Ike, his rudeness… he learned it from me! I just know he did!" Soren cried.

"How do you figure?" Ike asked, "It's not like he paid that much attention to what you said."

"Ike, _he learned magic from observation!" _ Soren wept, "He was watching me so intently."

"Well you were the only mother figure he had for almost his entire life. It's unsurprising he attached himself to you," Ike said.

"But if he thinks I'm so damn _great _to imitate, why can't he just be a good boy and stay with the men who raised him to be who he is today?"

"You didn't…"

"That's hardly my fault!" Soren shouted, "My first foster mother sold me, and then my next foster father died! What I did was cling to you… and Josh should've done the same…"

"Soren, you don't get it, do you?" Ike asked, holding his partner's face gently, "Josh is leaving us because of your stories of running away."

Soren began to bawl. "I knew it was my fault…"

Ike held Soren tightly, whispering softly, "Darling, I know how much you loved him…"

------

Josh found himself in an unfamiliar plaza with a bar to his right. Staggering out of the bar was a man with ruffled pink hair, clearly intoxicated. "Umm…" Josh said, "Are you related to Marcia?"

"Yep, she's my sister!" the man shouted, "Are you her son?"

"If you can call it that. My _father _at the very least is a cur."

"Well I'm your Uncle Makalov!" the man shouted with open arms, rum on his breath.

Josh backed away from Makalov and ran into the bar, hoping no one would see him. Sadly he was spotted almost immediately by a young woman. He judged her to be roughly twenty. They shouted in unison, "Aaah! Don't look at me!"

He hid behind the bar. She hid behind a table.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm Josh. What's your name?"

"Amy," she answered. "I'm the owner's daughter. Well, sort of. Adopted."

"I'm adopted too. Two fathers. Go figure."

Amy's eyes lit up, "Two fathers? Mage and swordsman?"

"How'd you know?" Josh asked.

"Ike and Soren…" Amy said fondly.

"What, and you know their names too? Are you a psychic?"

"No, it's not that," Amy responded, "When I was a girl, they were commanding a war on the goddess."

"A war on the goddess?" Josh asked, "Ike never mentioned being in command of something like that."

"Mom says Ike's a very humble man and wouldn't draw attention to something like that. And no one respects his wishes more than Soren," Amy said, "My mom was employed as a mage during that war. My dad looked out for me, but he told me there was another war when I was a baby where he was employed as an axe-fighter. Well at least, he looked out for me until he was turned into a statue… it was a strange war; you had to be there."

Josh smirked and gave a slight chuckle, "Maybe Ike and Soren _are _cooler than I give them credit for."

Amy laughed out loud, "Trust me, most of the people on Tellius would never contest Ike's wonder."

Josh asked, "Say, Amy? Is there room here for one more? You see, I ran away today, and I need a place to stay."

"I guess you can stay in my room," Amy said seductively.

"Sounds good," Josh said.


	6. Disapproval and Worry

"Are you alright, Oscar?" the polite priest asked, renewing the ice pack on his left knee.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, Kieran got so… upset," Oscar said sadly, "I never meant to cause any animosity between him and Josh. I feel so bad now."

Rhys' copper eyes filled with a determined rage. "I will simply not stand for it, Oscar," he said, "Even _I _have a stronger backbone than you, and I'm a sickly clergyman! What Kieran did was _uncalled for_ and was in no way your fault!"

"Stop kidding, Rhys," Oscar said calmly, "I know that had I not gotten involved, Josh and Kieran would still be in each other's arms."

"That's not true," Rhys said, tears coming to his eyes. He hated when people looked down on themselves—it frightened him. "It's not… Oscar, you reunited them in the first place!"

Oscar snickered only slightly at that statement, "Kieran has a funny way of thanking people I guess."

------

Calill walked into the bedroom where she saw _her daughter _cuddled up with a strange man. She shrieked and kicked Josh in the face a few times. "Get away from Amy, you PERVERT!" she shouted, as she knocked him to the ground.

"Mom, no!" Amy protested.

Calill grabbed a broomstick from behind and started beating on Josh's head with it.

Amy stopped her by blocking Josh. "Mom, it's okay. He's not a pervert. He's my new boyfriend."

"B-b-boyfriend?" Calill stammered. She was so surprised she could hardly believe it. Her mouth stood agape as Amy picked Josh off the ground. "You have a boyfriend!" Calill shouted. She squealed with delight and jumped up and down. "I knew you could do it, Amy!"

Then she hugged Amy around the waist. "Mom, come on, it's not THAT impressive."

"Oh, I disagree!" she shouted, "Landing a man is proof that you are a solid woman."

Amy rolled her eyes saying, "Yeah, because Ike is the most solid of all women."

Josh shook Calill's hand, saying "Hello. I'm Josh. You must be Calill, Amy's mother."

"Why yes," she said, giggling, her shadowed eyes narrowing.

Suddenly the door was sprung open with such force that only one man could possibly achieve it. "HONEY, I'M HOME!" Largo shouted as he ran upstairs to greet Calill.

"Oh, no! Josh, hide!" Calill said.

"Why?" Josh asked curiously, "You're so lax about me…"

"But Largo won't be. Now hide!" she said, pushing him into a closet.

"I smell man," Largo said suspiciously as he went into the room. He noticed Amy's clothes were fitting slightly looser than usual, and that Calill was blocking the closet.

"Daddy, it must just be you. You know, you've never smelled a man up close and personal before. Or have you?" Amy asked.

Largo was too masculine to let this slip so he said, "Okay, fine! Maybe it's just my imagination… but why is Calill blocking the closet?"

"So you won't go back into it," Calill said, grinning.

"Oh, I see what's going on! You think ol' Largo's not manly! But I'll prove to both of you my manliness, somehow," Largo shouted pointing to the sky, "Mark my words." He left the room and Josh was then allowed to leave the closet.

"What a dysfunctional family," Josh said, "And I thought my two sets of parents were bad."

"Two sets?" Amy asked.

"Why yes," Josh said, "Ike and Soren, the cynical fun-smashers, and Marcia and Kieran, the overemotional airheads."

"Wow, what an upbringing!" Amy remarked.

"I know," Josh said. Calill left the room and locked the door with no do not disturb signal because that would make Largo suspicious. She felt as though she had done her job.

But she couldn't help but eavesdrop.

-----

Josh walked into Goldoan territory, and there were three large red dragons blowing fire at his head. The hapless Prince Kurthnaga tried to quell them to no avail. Josh burned to a crisp, and then the biggest of the dragons ate him.

Soren awoke with a start, screaming loudly in Ike's arms. This was not the first time this had happened since Josh had disappeared. Soren had recurring nightmares, usually in the form of dragons, Gallian tigers, or his foster mother murdering Josh.

"Soren," Ike would continually say, "Josh is okay, I'm sure he is."

"I'm not," Soren would continually respond, and then begin to cry. The softness of Ike's lips on his cheeks was hardly enough to keep his tears in check.

"Don't worry too much or you'll get wrinkles," Ike said, smiling.

"You're already getting them…" Soren said sadly.

"These are nothing," Ike said, "They're laugh lines."

"Ike you probably only have half your life left!" Soren cried, "And when you die I'll be all alone again! I thought Josh could delay that some but he left us and now… and now I don't even know if he's okay."

Ike gave Soren a comforting hug, saying "Of course he'll be okay."

----

Somehow on his search for Marcia and Josh, Kieran had gotten himself lost in Begnion, west of the Grann Desert. Nathaniel had tired himself out from running so far and so Kieran decided to find a shady spot to rest. He took a withered carrot from his rucksack and fed it to his ailing stallion. Three shady figures approached from the mirage on the horizon.

Kieran readied his axe, shouting, alarmed, "Who goes there?"

"Tormod," the middle figure answered, in an alarmingly deep voice.

"You're not Tormod!" Kieran complained, "You're not even a kid."

The man walked over and said, "I haven't seen you in fifteen years! You're still as dim as ever though."

"I'd prefer you not to insult me when I'm searching for my woman and my son!" Kieran said, "I may never see them again."

"Family troubles? Well why didn't you say so?" the man, who WAS apparently Tormod, asked, "The Laguz Emancipation Army always wants to lend a helping hand, even when our namesakes' troubles ended!"

"Okay!" Kieran said, "Fire mage and fire knight going on a search together! But I am confused about one thing…"

"Yeah?" Tormod asked.

"What are you doing in Crimea?" Kieran asked.

Tormod grabbed the fire tome from his bag and smacked his head against it repeatedly.

---

Marcia looked up at the full moon, and wondered whether she had made a mistake in leaving Kieran. Then her thoughts turned to Josh and she began to cry. She ran into Makalov outside the Calill Inn. "Marcia, why the long face? I'm not THAT deep in debt!" he complained. She shoved him aside.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand…" Marcia argued.

"Of course I would… why wouldn't I?"

"It's my son!" Marcia cried, "He's gone!"

"Gone?" Makalov asked, and then he laughed hysterically. Marcia glared at him.

"What?"

"Oh, he's not gone at all, Marcia," Makalov said, wiping a tear, "He knows Calill's daughter, if you know what I mean, and I think you do."

"WHAT!?" Marcia asked, "If THAT HUSSY thinks her daughter can sleep with my son, she's got another thing coming!"

"Temper," Makalov said, shyly. Marcia glared at him again and he shut up.

Marcia stormed off to find Amy's room.


	7. Reunion

Largo was determined. He knew something was fishy. Amy had never seemed so secretive before, and there had to have been a reason for Calill blocking the closet. Sadly, however, their attempts to distract him from the current situation had worked, so he had gone out to the forest to chop some wood—after all, that was a manly thing to do after all.

As he hacked away at the trees he ran into a hawk. It was Janaff. "HEY!" he shouted, "It's illegal in the United Provinces of Aerilia to chop down trees!"

"This isn't the United Provinces of Aerilia. This is my backyard forest, asshole," Largo shouted back.

"Well, Tibarn suggests that we expand the country!"

"THIS CLOSE TO MELIOR!?" Largo asked angrily, "And what did _Queen Elincia _have to say about that?"

"She said that it was fine as long as we allowed her to keep all the properties that weren't forests."

"So, what you're saying is, the Queen ceded all of our forests to you guys? What about the one that borders Gallia?"

"Oh, she gave that one to Gallia," Janaff laughed. Largo was not amused. He threw his axe down on the ground.

"It's a sad world where I have a perfectly good axe-arm and I can't test it out because some birdbrain is telling me that it's illegal," Largo said, rolling his eyes.

"HEY!" Janaff shouted, "Racial slurs are illegal in the United Provinces of Aerilia!"

Largo backed out of the forest and then said, "Like I said, BIRDBRAIN!" He then ran off to see his family once more. Political arguments would have to do for now. But when he got there he heard the distinct nasally voice of Marcia having an altercation with his wife.

"You really ought not to have allowed this Calill," Marcia argued, "He's still just a boy. And Amy is HALF A DECADE his senior!"

"What about Boyd and Mist?" Calill asked.

"What Mist does is her business, and maybe Ike's. But Josh is _my son,_ and I don't think that he's ready for… that."

Largo picked up on what "that" meant and he became irate. He shoved Marcia over and went to yell at his daughter, "AMYYYYYYYYYY!!!" he screamed.

Amy and Josh were sitting on Amy's bed, holding hands and kissing. They didn't even notice when Largo walked in the room. Largo grabbed Josh by the scruff of his neck. "You bastard," he shouted and threw Josh out the window. Josh screamed as he fell.

"JOSH!" Amy shouted worriedly.

"My baby!!" Marcia shouted. She let Calill be and rushed over to catch Josh. Unfortunately, she was a bit late and he had already hit the ground.

"Daddy!" Amy screamed, throwing a pillow at Largo's head, "I HATE YOU!"

She attempted to run out of the house, but Largo put a stop to that. "AMY!" he shouted, "You're not going anywhere! You're grounded."

"I'm twenty years old, dad!" she responded, "I'm not a child anymore!"

"She's right, you know," Calill said. "You know, Ike was younger when he led the Mad King's War's army, and his lover was a year younger than that when he strategized for that."

Largo put his face in his hands and cried, "I don't want to lose my little baby…" he admitted.

Amy said sadly, "Josh…"

"He'll be alright," Calill said unconvincingly.

----

Marcia had taken the liberties of scouting out exactly where Ike lived—not that she planned to stalk him or anything, but ever since he eloped, she was afraid an emergency would arise, and the continent would need saving again. This time, it was not for the continent's well-being, so much as it was for Ike's own benefit.

She had flown to his new home this time to tell him about Josh. She knocked on the door as calmly as possible. Ike opened the door. "May I help you?" he asked. The sound of quiet sobbing could be heard in another room.

"It's Josh. Largo threw him out a second story window. He cracked his head open," Marcia said sadly.

"Oh… oh goddess," Ike said sadly.

A puffy-eyed Soren made his way to the door. He shouted, "NO! NO! It can't be true!!" He attempted to shake Marcia, but she slightly outweighed him and he was far too weak to accomplish it.

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true…" Marcia said, "And now I regret leaving Kieran… at least then I'd know where he was and could tell him the news."

"Is he alive?" Ike asked.

"The last time I checked, he was," Marcia answered, "But… it was a hard fall."

Soren sobbed into Ike's shoulder. "This is all my fault…" he said, "This is ALL my fault!"

"He better live…" Ike said, "Because if he doesn't, I don't know if Soren will either."

"Ike," Soren said in the least persuasive way possible, "Don't worry about me."

"Hop on," Marcia said.

"Hmm?" Ike asked.

"There's enough room on Janis for both Soren and me," Marcia said. "You on the other hand, will have to stay behind."

"I'll stay behind instead," Soren offered.

Ike bluntly stated, "No."

"Why not?" Soren asked, not whining, but rather curious.

"Because I know how you get when you're alone," Ike said, planting a kiss on Soren's mark, "And if worse comes to worse, you can get Marcia to give you a hug."

"Well, okay," Soren said, trusting his partner's judgment.

----

Kieran and Tormod managed to make it to Laura's orphanage in Daein. Kieran said, "Hmm… Crimea isn't as green as I remember it being. It's more… gray."

"This isn't Crimea," Laura said, coming out of the door, "It's Daein."

"Darn it, Tormod! We went north_east _instead of north_west, _and now we're lost again!" Kieran shouted.

"You don't have to censor your speech for me!" Tormod said, "I'm a thirty year old man!"

"I wasn't doing it to protect your innocence," Kieran said, "I was doing it to protect _my skull." _He pointed to Laura's staff.

"Oh?" Laura said, "You mean THIS?" she asked as she bonked the head of her staff onto a rock. "That's a Rhysism primarily."

"But I've seen you do it in combat too…" Kieran said.

"Yeah, but…" Laura said, "Not in a lecture."

"Can you tell us how to get to Crimea?" Kieran said.

"Well just go west from here," she answered.

"Maybe you can show us then?" Kieran asked, "My young companion and I apparently have no sense of direction."

"Of course," Laura said, as she joined Kieran and Tormod.

----

"Josh, Josh, Josh," a frustrated Rhys said, "Haven't your parents told you about getting too foolhardy around big strong guys?"

"Mom certainly hasn't," Josh answered, "He just tells me not to get too foolhardy around people who aren't 'my soul mate'; and I met her. She has the most beautiful mulberry hair and gorgeous dark brown eyes. Her mom loves me too! But her dad hates me."

"Well, maybe if you had asked his permission before you started courting his daughter?" Rhys suggested.

"I can't believe you're taking his side," Josh said. "He ALMOST KILLED ME. If it wasn't for you and Aunt Mist, I would've died long ago."

"So then maybe you should listen to what I have to say instead of just assuming that you're right and I'm wrong," Rhys said. Then he chuckled.

"What is it, Rhys?" Josh asked.

"Oh, you just remind me so much of Soren," Rhys said, "I'm sure you two were quite close."

"Well at least I'm happier being compared to fake-Mom than real-Dad…" Josh said.

"Kieran TRIES," Rhys said, "But he's just so excitable. Did you know he went on a search for you?"

"Yeah right!" Josh said, "My real Mom found me immediately. At least my adoptive parents probably miss me! But I was nothing but an annoyance to KIERAN."

"I think you overestimate his spatial abilities and underestimate his interest in you," Rhys said, "Knowing him, he probably repeatedly got lost."

"Were you and dad friends?" Josh asked.

"In a sense," Rhys answered, "We spent time together during the Mad King's War. And I was foolish enough to think that I could convert him into a careful person…"

"Fake dad never had that problem, did he? He led the wars, didn't he?"

"Well, yes, by matter of circumstance, he did."

"Why didn't he bother to tell me?" Josh asked.

"No reason other than he didn't want to be bragged about, I'm assuming," Rhys answered. The din of Pegasus hooves hitting the ground cleared the area.

"Mom?" Josh asked, "OTHER MOM?"

Marcia asked, "Josh, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay," he said, "Thanks for asking, Mom."

"Do you mind if I go embarrassing-parent on you, Josh?" Soren asked, "I know that I would've KILLED for that at your age, but…"

Josh contemplated, "Hmm… sure… go ahead."

Soren complied. He hugged Josh around the neck and cried, "OH GODDESS MY BABY! I'm so glad you're safe, I was terrified that you had died. NEVER LEAVE ME! No man wants to outlive his own child!" He kissed Josh repeatedly.

------

Kieran, Tormod, and Laura finally made it to the Greil Mercenaries fort, as Josh was recovering. Kieran walked in to see Josh.

"Josh!" he shouted, "I am SO sorry."

"It's okay, dad," Josh said, "After Rhys talked to me, I realized you weren't a bad man. Just a bit… eccentric."

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Kieran shouted.

"Hmm…" Josh said. "This family reunion is missing someone."

"Who would that be?" Kieran asked obliviously. Soren shot him a Don't-Tell-Me-You-Don't-Know look.

"My father," Josh said.

"JOSH!" Soren shouted, mouth agape, "You called Ike your father!" He hesitated for a moment, "Someone told you about his war record, didn't they?"

"Don't be so cynical, Mom," Josh said, "It rubs off on me."

"I told you not to…" Soren began, and then he thought about it harder, "But I guess technically I WAS the one who fed you as a baby, and then there's that whole facts of life element… okay, you can call me Mom… if it's okay with Marcia."

"We can both be Mom!" Marcia said, "It's a great name to share."

So the entire family decided to head for Ike's house for a reunion. But they weren't the only ones coming.

-----

Author's Note: Now I have a mental image of Marcia giving Soren a hug… Great.

Also, the pronoun in the second paragraph of the fourth section is correct as he is referring to Soren as Mom again and not Marcia. (Not assuming viewers are morons; just a general disclaimer)

The story is nearing the end now. There will be one final chapter after this one and a brief epilogue.


	8. We Are Family

"Hey," a woman's voice said, "Don't leave without us!"

It was Mist. She had Boyd to her left, and the two of them wanted to board the ship as well.

"And everywhere that brother goes, I go!" Rolf shouted, dragging along Oscar.

"So, Kieran," Oscar began, "Have you yet learned your lesson?"

"Of course not, archrival," Kieran said, throwing his axe to the sky, "For it is YOU who must learn the lesson, not me!"

From the north came Calill, Amy, and Largo. The last sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He told Josh, "Look, I'm really sorry about tossing you out the window, and everything, and I know that you were born from Marcia and raised by Soren so I'll understand if you hold a grudge against me but…"

"I will forgive you," Josh said, "If you give me your daughter's hand."

"Of course I'll give you my daughter's hand," Calill squealed with delight. "See, Largo? He wasn't a hooligan after all!"

"MARCIA!" Makalov shouted, taking his wife, "You can't have a family reunion without Uncle Makalov and Aunt Astrid!"

"Wow," Marcia said, "This is getting to be quite the crowd."

"And you haven't even found his grandmother yet…" a voice said from behind. It was Almedha. She rushed over to hug Soren and said, "You left; you didn't give me a chance to say goodbye."

"That's your fault," Soren said, "You had the chance to talk to me, and then you just… did you just call yourself Josh's grandmother? But that would mean that I…"

The king of Goldoa entered the scene, his de facto in-laws and nephew at his side. "We heard about the family reunion and we all had to attend!"

"I'm so glad to finally meet you, my cousin," a puce dragon said, kissing Soren's hand.

"I have a feeling the dragons weren't originally colored for hybrid purposes…" Soren responded looking at the half black-quarter white-quarter red dragon.

Ena spoke up. "Soren," she said, "This is Sanjaya. Sanjaya, this is Soren."

"I know, mother," Sanjaya said, "You've told me before.

Nasir said, "We better hurry up or the boat will leave without us."

So the family—the ENTIRE family—set sail to a remote little island. Soren's heart skipped a beat on the way over. He remembered this location as the place where he and Ike eloped to. And Josh looked at it with familiarity too, right down to the fields of saffron where he had first been taken to, and the small house where Ike and Soren raised him.

Ike was happy to greet Soren and Josh, and he expected Marcia to somewhat, but he was surprised to see Kieran, Makalov, Astrid, Mist, Boyd, Oscar, Rolf, Calill, Largo, Amy, Kurthnaga, Almedha, Nasir, Ena, and especially Sanjaya.

"Guys!" Ike said, "How long has it been?"

"Too long," was the almost unanimous answer. The dragons said, "not long" however—except Sanjaya who asked, "who are you?"

"Dad," Josh said, looking into Ike's blue eyes.

"Son," Ike responded, looking back at him.

"I've found the girl of my dreams," Josh said, "Her name is Amy."

"Amy…" Ike said, "Is that really you? My you've grown up so much."

"Yeah, Ike," Amy said, "I am a woman. And Josh is going to marry me!"

"Really?" Ike asked excitedly, "That's wonderful!"

"Well," Kieran began, "We have to get to work if we want the wedding to be perfect, so naturally I will take charge of everything."

"Nuh-uh!" Boyd said, "Oscar will do everything!"

"You little…" Kieran muttered. Josh walked up triumphantly.

He said, "I'll do it. Don't worry, because I've learned from all of you guys what to do and what not to do…" The entire family smiled, except Soren who was crying.

"Hey now, don't cry, Soren," Ike said.

"But I'm… so happy," Soren said, "Josh is… getting married. He… found his soul mate."

"Can I be the best man?" Sanjaya asked.

"I don't know who you are," Josh replied honestly.

"I'm your 'mother's' cousin!" Sanjaya answered proudly.

"Well, in that case, you can be the best man," Josh answered. Boyd broke a board on his knee.

"Dang it! First Ike goes and elopes without telling me, and now this! I'll _never_ get to be the best man."

"Actually, Boyd," Oscar said, "You know… Tanith and I are…"

"Engaged?" Boyd asked excitedly.

"Well, we're _discussing _it," Oscar said, "It all depends on whether Sigrun is okay with it or not."

"Oh because she and Tanith are…" Boyd began.

"_Best friends," _Oscar finished before Boyd could reveal his fully-guttered mind.

Josh and Amy shared a chaste kiss before wishing each other good night, knowing full well that their wedding day would happen the next day, for Laura (and Tormod) had tagged along with their oft-lost friend.

----------

"I now pronounce you woman and husband," Laura said, closing the book. "You may now kiss the groom."

Amy followed those instructions quite well. Josh and Amy went on their honeymoon.

The family was large and happy. And there was never a problem again.

Author's Note: I am _really _sorry about the delays. For this reason, I am posting this chapter and the epilogue simultaneously.


	9. Epilogue: Where Are They Now?

_Epilogue_

_Josh and Amy raised a home together and had three sons, whom they named after Josh's three fathers. Amy became the breadwinner for her household and Josh didn't mind. As long as he could spend the rest of his life with her, he was happy._

_Calill and Largo spent the rest of their lives knowing that their daughter was all grown up and taking care of a husband. Due to some negotiations, Largo managed to get the forest outside his house back from the United Provinces of Aerilia._

_Makalov and Astrid sent money weekly to Josh and Amy, much to Marcia's chagrin. But nothing could be done. Eventually, Makalov ran out of money, and Amy started pouring it back. Astrid never minded._

_Marcia decided to get back with Kieran for good this time, and he vowed that he would never let their children be separated from them at infancy again. Marcia for the first time ever was thankful she was getting old._

_Boyd eventually fulfilled the role of best man at Oscar and Tanith's wedding. Maid of honor Sigrun cried through the whole wedding. Mist was still a bit suspicious about Tanith, but Boyd understood that she was sincere in her promise to stay with Oscar._

_Tormod went back home to stay with Muarim. Even after all these years, the latter still insisted on calling the former "Little One". And Kieran never got over his age either._

_Sanjaya and his family still welcomed Ike, Soren, and Josh as valued members of their community. Over the next several decades, Sanjaya and Josh would become great friends, and even held parties for each other._

_Ike and Soren lived happily and peacefully ever after in their far away home, until eventually they died. Marcia and Kieran still go to their graves to pray for those who raised their son when they were absent from duty._

_And as for Rhys… he never stopped whapping. Some things are just too important for words. Laura even picked up the habit a bit. But they would never hit unless the target deserved it._

_The End _


End file.
